Soft disposable contact lenses are commonly contained in disposable packages. As packaging adds to the overall cost of the lens, it should be made as economically as possible but without compromise to the requisite packaging criteria.
The traditional blister pack packaging (shown in FIGS. 1-3) for disposable lenses (both bi-weekly and daily) consists of a polypropylene receptacle for the lens (herein after referred to as a “boat”), topped by a multi-layer film consisting of polyethylene, aluminum, a bonding agent and polypropylene. The boat is typically an injection molded plastic which has high stiffness but is capable of limited elastic deflection and includes a preformed recess. The boat is filled with a suitable storage solution, preferably saline, and receives a single lens in situ. The blister pack is sealed, then autoclaved using steam and pressure to terminal sterility. These blister packs are presented to the patient in boxes of individual packs (FIGS. 4-5) or as multiple blister strips.
The marketing objective is to present the contact lens to a patient in an aesthetically pleasing package that both satisfies the statutory requirements for sterility and stability, and allows the patient to remove the lens safely and easily. The packaging is used only once and is discarded after the lens is removed. This impacts the costs of the lens/package combination. In order to reduce the overall price of the lens to the patient, the cost of the packaging should be kept to an absolute minimum. In addition, disposability of lens packages necessitates conformity with ecological standards.
The lens must be kept hydrated while in the package. The package must be well sealed and should minimize water vapor transmission through the boat and laminated layer to maximize the shelf life and prevent dehydration of the lens contained therein. In use, the user removes the laminated material from a flange formed on the boat by peeling back the cover to expose the lens immersed in a hydrating solution.
There is a long felt need in the disposable contact lens industry to provide an economic, space-efficient, and convenient, disposable contact lens package without compromise to durability, sterility, and utility of the lens.
Throughout the drawings, identical reference numbers designate similar, but not necessarily identical, elements.